Brightwell Aquatics MicroBacter Dry Rock Bacteria Starter Kit

The Brightwell Aquatics MicroBacter Dry Rock Bacteria Starter Kit is everything you need to cycle a new saltwater or reef tank on dry rock and dry sand without risking a single fish. It pairs QuikCycl, a measured ammonia food for nitrifying bacteria, with Start XLM, a professional-strength live nitrifying culture, and follows up with MicroBacter CLEAN to help tame the ugly stage once the cycle is done. Sized for aquariums up to 100 gallons, it follows a simple day-by-day protocol that most tanks finish in about a week. Pair it with a reliable ammonia test such as the Hanna Marine Ammonia Checker, and browse the rest of our water care and treatments.

What's Inside (Use in This Order)

• MicroBacter QuikCycl, 60 mL: an ammonium-based nutrient with trace phosphate and nitrate that feeds the nitrifiers during a fishless cycle. Fishless tanks only.
• MicroBacter Start XLM, 125 mL: a professional-strength live nitrifying bioculture for rapidly cycling new marine and reef aquariums.
• MicroBacter CLEAN, 500 mL: select microbes and enzymes that consume organics on rock, sand and glass to help minimize the ugly stage and keep water quality up as the tank matures.

Why It Works

• Built for dry rock and dry sand starts: the kit supplies both the food and the bacteria a sterile start is missing.
• Fishless and controlled: you dose a known amount of ammonia and add a known culture, so nothing living is exposed to the cycle.
• Covers up to 100 gallons: with enough CLEAN left over for about 7 weeks of post-cycle maintenance.
• Made in the USA: the same Brightwell cultures reef keepers have relied on for years, in a ready-to-go bundle.

Day by Day Fishless Cycle

Day 1: Turn off the skimmer and UV and remove fine mechanical filtration such as filter socks. If you filled with tap water, dechlorinate first; RO/DI water needs no treatment. Set salinity and temperature, then dose QuikCycl at 4 drops per gallon (1 mL per 5 gallons). Test ammonia and confirm 1 to 2 ppm total ammonia. Do not add extra ammonia. Add MicroBacter Start XLM as directed on its label.

Days 2 and 3: Test and record pH, ammonia and nitrite.

Day 4: Test pH, ammonia and nitrite. If ammonia or nitrite is above 0.25 ppm, you may add more bacteria, never more QuikCycl.

Days 5 and 6: Keep testing. On day 6, add more bacteria again if either reading is above 0.25 ppm.

Day 7: Test pH, ammonia and nitrite. If both ammonia and nitrite read 0, test nitrate. Nitrate of 0.25 ppm or higher means the tank is cycled. If not, continue.

Days 8 and 9: Continue daily tests. When ammonia and nitrite are both 0 and nitrate is 0.25 ppm or higher, the cycle is complete. Do a 25% water change, restart the UV, skimmer and mechanical filtration, and introduce hardy livestock slowly.

After the Cycle: MicroBacter CLEAN

Maintenance: 20 mL per 25 gallons weekly. Turn off the skimmer and UV for 4 hours after dosing. Accelerated or problem tanks: 30 mL per 25 gallons on day 1, then 5 mL per 25 gallons daily for 2 weeks, per the label.

Safety Tips

• Fishless only: never dose QuikCycl into a tank with fish, corals or invertebrates.
• No carbon or GFO until the cycle is complete and another 30 days have passed.
• Skip live sand and pre-seeded rock during the cycle; they can interfere with the protocol.
• Test daily. Patience beats overdosing.

Specifications

What's Included

• MicroBacter QuikCycl, 60 mL
• MicroBacter Start XLM, 125 mL
• MicroBacter CLEAN, 500 mL

Recommended Pairings

• Hanna HI784 Marine Ammonia Checker, the daily test this protocol depends on
• Marine master test kit, for the nitrite and nitrate checks
• CaribSea Moani dry rock, the rock this kit is made to seed
• MicroBacter QuikCycl 60 mL, MicroBacter Start XLM and MicroBacter CLEAN, sold separately as refills
• MicroBacter7, the complete bioculture for ongoing nutrient control after the cycle
• More salt mixes and water care

FAQ

How long does the cycle take? Most dry rock tanks finish in 7 to 9 days with this protocol. Keep testing until ammonia and nitrite both read 0 and nitrate is at least 0.25 ppm.

Can I use it on a freshwater tank? The Start XLM culture in this kit is the marine version. Brightwell makes Start XLF for freshwater, so use that instead for a freshwater cycle.

What if I already have fish in the tank? Do not use QuikCycl. Cycle with the live bacteria alone and feed lightly; QuikCycl is strictly for fishless starts.

Why turn off the skimmer and UV? Both strip bacteria and nutrients out of the water column before they can settle on the rock, which slows the cycle.